Room cooler



m R m 8 6 4 .w M 9m m 6 4 2 6 0 N v 7v 6 3 4 hm. 6 Wm 2 72 A 6 u 71 T G v 1 v G G\ 2 2 w /8 a I w M M N, m w Y B irlLl III! I United States Patent ROOM COOLER Wallace Gregg, .West Los Angeles, Calif. Application October 5, 1953,- Serial No. 383,991 Claims; (Cl. 261-'-24) This invention relates to a room cooler, and particularly to the type of a room cooler using osmotic cooling of a liquid to provide the air cooling for the room.

It has long been known that liquids contained in semipervious or slightly porous material would be cool because of the osmotic movement of the liquid through the container and the evaporation of the liquid from the exterior surface of the container. It has long beenknown that such devices may be conveniently used to cool water for drinking purposes or for otherwise providing cool liquids.

The present invention utilizes the principle of osmotic cooling of liquids to provide a flow of cool air for room cooling. This is accomplished by providing a container of liquid having a semi pervious or porous wall so that thewater in the container will flow to the surface thereof and be evaporated to cool the Water in the container. The entire container is mounted on a base in which a fan or blower is mounted so thatiair may be drawn over the container and discharged by the blower into the room.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a container with a metallic'shield and a reservoir for supplying fluid as the same is evaporated so that the device may operate over a long period of time and be substantially protected against" injury.

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved room cooler.

A further object of the invention is to provide a room cooler having the water cooled by osmotic motion.

It is a further object of the invention to provide aportable room cooler".

Other'objects and many of the attendant advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a room cooler according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the room cooler; and

Figure 3 is a horizontal cross-section through the room cooler taken substantially on the plane indicated bythe section line 3--3 of Figure 1. I

In the exemplary embodiment according to the invention, a room cooler is constituted by a substantially annular base 10 having a substantially flat bottom 12 for resting on any suitable flat surface for supporting the cooler. A substantially axial chamber 14 is disposed. in the base 10 and is adapted to contain a rotary blower 16. The rotary blower 16 is mounted on a motor casing 18 which is provided with threads 20 for mounting thecasing 18 in a. threaded aperture 22 in the bottom of a casing 10. The blower chamber '14 is provided With an outlet: port 24 extending substantially horizontally or radially from the device.

The top 26 of the base 10 is substantially flat and is provided with an aperture 28 which is provided with an upstanding lip or rim 30 extending above the flat surface 26.

A semi-pervious or porous container 32 is mounted on the flat surface 26 and is provided with an aperture 34 to be sealed about the upstanding lip 30. The semipervious container 32 may be made of suitable materials such as u'nglazed porcelain or tightly woven canvas or other fabric. An aperture 40 is provided in the top of the container 32 and preferably has an inturned lip 42. A flexible air conduit 44 is connected to the upstanding lip 30 and in fluid tight relation thereto, preferably by means of a sealing band 46 and the opposite end of the flexible air conduit 44 is connected to the inlet inturned lip 42 preferably by means of a sealing band 48. The air conduit 44 is constructed of semi-pervious material such as tightly woven canvas, other fabric or unglazed porcelain. Any suitable means, not shown, may be provided to prevent collapse of the tube 44, where necessary. 7 The base 10 is provided with an upstanding ,rim or lip 50 around the periphery thereof and in spaced relation to the container 32 to provide a substantially trough-like space between the upstanding rim 5i) and the container 32. A fluid absorbing material such as a sponge 54 is mounted in this trough so that any water or other fluid which percolates through the semi-pervious container and is not evaporated therefrom will be absorbed and not leak onto the floor. Preferably a receptacle 56 is formed in the base 10 and preferably this receptacle is an annular chamber extending around the blower and motor chambers.

The top 26 of the base 10 is provided with a sloping channel 27 and a conduit 58 communicates the lowest point of the channel 27 with the receptacle 56.

When the device is left unused with water in the container 32, water will sometimes trickle down the surface A of the air conduit 44 into the chamber 14. To prevent this a trap 57 is provided in the interior of the lip 30 and has a low point connected to the receptacle 56 by a conduit 59. A check valve 61 is placed in conduit 59 to prevent inverse flow of air through conduit 59 when the blower is operating. Instead of trap 57, the lip 30 could be extended and provided with a reverse bend with conduit 59 connected to the low point of the reverse bend. Also a manual valve could be placed in conduit 59 and be provided with a handle operable from the outer surface, but the automatic check valve is preferred.

A drain plug 60is preferably provided in the bottom of the receptacle 56 so that excess fluid may be drained therefrom.

Spider-like mounting arms 62 are provided on the base i 10 and a substantially tubular shield 64 is mounted on the arms 62 and extends in spaced relation from the container 32 to provide an annular air space 66 between the shield 64 and the container 32. A reservoir 68 is provided on the top of the shield 64 and contains a quantity of liquid 70 such as water for replenishing the container 32 as the fluid is removed therefrom by osmosis and evaporation. A conduit 72 extends between the reservoir 63 and the container 32 and is sealed in fluid-tight relation to'the container 32. A bottom 74 of the reservoir 63 is spaced from the top end of the container 32, and suitable supporting brackets 76 and 78 may be readily placed between the bottom of the reservoir and the top of the container 32 to rnai'ntain the container 32 in proper relation therein. Separation of the reservoir from the top of the container 32 provides a cross passage '80 communicating the annular passage 66 so that air may go upwardly through the passage 66, through the crosspassage 89,

through the aperture 40and down through. the air duct In the operation of the device according to the invention, the container 32 and the reservoir 68 will be filled with suitable fluid such as water and because of the semipervious nature of the walls of the container 32 and of the air duct 44 the fluid will seep through the walls so that the walls will be wet. The blower 16 will draw air upwardly through the passages 66 across the passage 80 and down through the air duct 44 so that the air will flow in intimate contact with the outer surface of the container 32 and the inner surface of the air duct 44 so that the hot, dry air passing over the device will cause evaporation of the water produced by osmotic movement through the containers and the evaporation of the water will cool the fluid within the container and the air passing therearound. A rheostat or other regulator may be used to control the blower 16.

Any excess moisture in the exterior surface of the container 32 will be absorbed by the sponge 54 so that no water will be in danger of leaking from the device onto the floor or other finished surface. Excess water will pass through the conduits 58 and 59 into the receptacle 56 and may be drained therefrom by the utilization of the plug 60 whenever desired.

It will thus be apparent that the present invention has provided a room cooler of desirable characteristics and which may be readily moved from room to room, as desired.

For the purpose of exemplification a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown and described according to the best present understanding thereof. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts thereof without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A portable air cooler comprising a base, a blower chamber in said base, an air outlet opening laterally from said blower chamber through said base, an upstanding axial air inlet on said base opening into said blower chamber, a porous water container mounted upon and rising from said base and surrounding said air inlet and having an air inlet aperture adjacent its upper end, a porous air conduit disposed in the container and having a lower end secured in communicating relation to said air inlet and having an upper end secured to and communicating with said aperture, means for directing a flow of air into said aperture and said air conduit.

2. The combination of claim 1 including a water collecting chamber in said base, a leakage collecting trough in said air inlet, a drain passage connecting said trough to said collecting chamber.

3. The combination of claim 1 including a water collecting chamber in said base, a leakage collecting trough in said air inlet, a drain passage connecting said trough to said collecting chamber, said water collecting chamber enclosing said blower chamber.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said air directing means includes a sleeve surrounding said water container, the lower end of said sleeve terminating in spaced relation to the base for providing an annular air inlet opening therebetween.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said air directing means includes a sleeve surrounding said water container, the lower end of said sleeve terminating in spaced relation to the base for providing an annular air inlet opening therebetween, a water reservoir mounted upon said sleeve, a passage connecting said reservoir with the interior of the water container.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said air directing means includes a sleeve surrounding said Water container, the lower end of said sleeve terminating in spaced relation to the base for providing an annular air inlet opening therebetween, said sleeve having a wall at its upper end disposed in vertically spaced relation to and overlying said inlet aperture whereby air flowing upwardly within the sleeve may pass beneath said wall and enter said inlet aperture.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said base is provided with a water collecting chamber and with a top wall upon which said container is mounted and a channel surrounding the container, a drainage means connecting the bottom of said channel with the interior of the collecting chamber.

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein said base is provided with a water collecting chamber and with a top wall upon which said container is mounted and a channel surrounding the container, a drainage means connecting the bottom of said channel with the interior of the collecting chamber, said air directing means including a sleeve surrounding said Water container, the lower end of said sleeve terminating in spaced relation to the base for providing an annular air inlet opening therebetween, members projecting laterally from the base for supporting the sleeve.

9. The combination of claim 1 wherein said base is provided with a water collecting chamber and with a top wall upon which said container is mounted and a channel surrounding the container, a drainage means connecting the bottom of said channel with the interior of the collecting chamber, said air directing means including a sleeve surrounding said water container, the lower end of said sleeve terminating in spaced relation to the base for providing an annular air inlet opening therebetween, members projecting laterally from the base for supporting the sleeve, a water reservoir mounted upon said sleeve,

, a passage connecting said reservoir with the interior of the water container.

10. The combination of claim 1 wherein said base is provided with a water collecting chamber and with a top wall upon which said container is mounted and a channel surrounding the container, a drainage means connecting the bottom of said channel with the interior of the collecting chamber, said air directing means including a sleeve surrounding said water container, the lower end of said sleeve terminating in spaced relation to the base for providing an annular air inlet opening therebetween, members projecting laterally from the base for supporting the sleeve, a water reservoir mounted upon said sleeve, a passage connecting said reservoir with the interior of the water container, support members mounting the water reservoir upon the upper portion of the water container.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 423,388 Netterfield Mar. 11, 1890 1,579,560 Moore Apr. 6, 1926 1,945,431 Gazda Jan. 30, 1934 2,048,694 Harris July 28, 1936 2,271,709 Norris Feb. 3, 1942 2,562,589 Uttz July 31, 1951 2,717,773 Gregg Sept. 13, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 17,378 Great Britain Nov. 2, 1889 206,982 Great Britain Nov. 22, 1923 164,456 Germany Oct. 31, 1905 

